Method of producing mercury



Patented June 1%, I

WALTER GLAEsER, on BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AssroriroR, To GLAEsRR RESEARCH CORPORATION, on NEW Yonxfn. Y., A ooRPo A'rroN on NEW YORK METHOD or PRODUCING MERoURY No Drawing. 7

proved process is very much more 'economical than that now in use and is capable of effecting a recovery of better, than 90 per cent of the total amount of mercury in the ore, while at thesame time ores of any amount of mercury content. canbe economi cally treated. To the accomplishment ofthe Y foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described-and particularly pointedout in the claims. 7 1

The following description sets forth in detail one approved method of carryingout the invention, such disclosed mode, 'however, constituting but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention 'may be used. a

In my improved process cinnabar ore (mercuricsulphlde) is crushed and pulver ized until it will pass a relatively fine screen, say from 80 to 150 mesh, the fineness of the crushed ore affecting the speed and vcompleteness of reactions in the further steps of the process. This finely crushed cinnabar ore is then mixed with a sufficient amount of water to form a thin paste, and areducing gas, preferably nascent hydrogen, is in? troduced in any suitable way. Oneconvenient manner involves adding to the paste a hydroxidev of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal in excess and a metal reactive therewith to produce hydrogen, for instance finely divided metal in the form of filings or turnings if desired, such as alur'ninum, zinc, iron, brass, copper, etc. I On employlng aluminum proper steps must be taken to prevent the too rapid, formation and loss of nascent hydrogen, which also causes the alu- Application filed. November 14, 1924. Serial No. 749,999.

minumto be consumed to an excessive degree. Zinc, brass, analloy of aluminum or 7 aluminum arethe metals which I prefer to 7 use. I s

This composition is then heated to a temperature of from to 90 degrees C. for sub-' stantially one hour. The reactions will Vary in speed with the temperature, but the mixture should be warmed to a certain extent in order to hasten the reaction.

The reactionsKwhiCh take place are, first, a reaction between, the hydroxide and the v zinc to form a zincate, or'the aluminum to form an aluminate, liberating nascent hydrogen. This nascent hydrogen then attacks the red cinnabar ore, liberating metallic drogen sulphide combines with the zincate mercury and hydrogen sulphide. Thechyto form Zinc sulphideand the original allraline hydroxideis recovered. The mercury then mechanically combines with the metal which is present, such as zinc, to form 'a me'rcury zinc amalgamp The complete series of reactions which it is'assumed take place,

in the mixture are as follows:

It is possible that after the liberation of the mercury a further reaction takes place which may be, represented as follows: 1 5. Red 'HgS molecules) H I It is probable that a further reaction takes place in the presence of caustic soda between theblack sulphide of mercury producedunder reactionNo. 5 and some sodiumsulfhy drate which has been formed under reaction No. 6 for it is found that temporarily some soluble mercury compound appears in solublack sulphide of iron.

of iron compounds or other sulphur bindtion. The reactions covering this phase may be represented as follows This double sulphide of mercury and sodium is soluble in water; it reacts with a metal like zinc or aluminum in the following manner:

9. HgSNa S 2Zn= rigzn Na s en o 3HgS.Na S 4A1: a a n, rigor-1 GNaSI-I ing compounds are present in the ore it may become necessary to supply an amount of soluble sulphide to the mixture sufiicient to take care of such compounds.

. After freeing the mercury from the cinnabar ore and converting it into a mercury zinc amalgam the latter is removed from the,

solution, is washed, and then distilled above 360 C. in order to drive oi the mercury, which is then condensed, the Zinc being in this way entirely purified from the mercury and is usable over again in the process.

The present process is carried out entirely in an aqueous solution, is simple and quite 1 inexpensive, and is relatively fast and gives,

particularly if the solution is maintained between the temperatures given above and 1s agitated during the react1on, a recovery of better than 90 per cent. of the original mercury content of the ore.

The decomposition of the cinnabar may also be effected by agitating the powdered ore with warm water and a metal or a metal couple such as a zinc-copper couple or a copper aluminum couple or any other aluminum alloy in the presence of a trace of an acid. The metal or the metal couples decompose water under these conditions, re-

leasing hydrogen which desulphurizes the ore, freeing the mercury which is then acted upon and recovered as already described.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the process herein disclosed, provided the step or steps stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated step or steps be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and dis tinctly claim as my invention 1. A method of extracting mercury from cinnabar ore, which comprises liberating the mercury by treating the finely divided ore in the presence of water with a reducing gas reactive with such ore.

2. A method of extracting mercury from cinnabar ore, which comprises subjecting the finely divided ore to a reducing agent in the presence of water and a metal capable of forming an amalgam with the mercury.

3. In a method of extracting mercury from cinnabar ore, the steps which consist in reacting upon finely divided cinnabar ore with a nascent gas capable of displacing mercury from combination, in the presence of water and a finely divided metal, and removing and distilling the mercury amalgam there formed.

4:. In a method of extracting mercury from cinnabar ore, the steps which consist in agitating the finely ground ore in water, while causing liberation of hydrogen from the water.

5. In a method of extracting mercury from cinnabar ore, the steps which consist in agitating finely ground cinnabar ore with water in the presence of a metal couple to liberate hydrogen from the water, amalgamating the mercury, and then removing and distilling the mercury amalgam thus formed.

6. A method of extracting mercury from cinnabar ore, which comprises liberating the mercury by treating the ore in the presence of water with a reducing gas reactive with such ore.

7 In a method of extracting mercury from cinnabar ore, the steps which consist in agitating the ore in water, while causing liberation of hydrogen from the water.

Signed by me, this 20th day of September,

WALTER GLAESER. 

